NFL Player News

Patterson carried the ball 17 times for 78 yards and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 26-6 win over the Cowboys.

Brian Robinson (knee) was inactive for the Commanders' season finale, so Patterson found himself as the primary option in the team's backfield after not getting a touch through the first 17 weeks, and he used the opportunity to establish a new career high in rushing yards for the game. Robinson's strong second half all but ensures he'll be the team's top RB in 2023, but if Antonio Gibson (knee/foot) gets moved in the offseason, Patterson could enter next season in the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, giving the 2021 undrafted free agent some possible deep-league fantasy intrigue.

Elliott carried the ball eight times for 10 yards and failed to catch either of his targets in Sunday's 26-6 loss to the Commanders.

No Dallas running back gained more than 19 yards in what was an abysmal performance for the entire offense. Elliott completes his seventh NFL season with a career-low 876 rushing yards and 968 scrimmage yards, but his 12 rushing TDs helped keep his fantasy value afloat. Up next for the Cowboys is a date with the Buccaneers in the wild-card round, and with Dak Prescott's issues with interceptions continuing Sunday, Dallas could lean heavily on Elliott and Tony Pollard out of the backfield.

Pollard carried the ball seven times for 19 yards and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 26-6 loss to the Commanders.

The Cowboys' offense completely failed to show up in the regular-season finale, and Pollard's meager rushing yard total actually tied Malik Davis for the team lead. Pollard finishes the regular season with a career-high 1,378 scrimmaging yards and 12 total TDs, and with Dak Prescott still struggling with interceptions, Dallas could lean heavily on their running game in the wild-card round against Tampa Bay.

Murray rushed 15 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for 15 yards in the Broncos' 31-28 win over the Chargers on Sunday. He also committed a fumble recovered by Denver.

The veteran running back closed out the season with another strong effort, and he posted a pair of 100-yard tallies in the last four games. Murray was an afterthought languishing on the Saints' practice squad earlier in the season, but a solid 11-carry, 57-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 4 for New Orleans caught the eye of the Broncos, who were reeling from the loss of Javonte Williams (IR-knee) at the time. Murray went on thrive to the tune of 703 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with a 26-124 line through the air across 12 games in Denver, and although he'll be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year and turns 33 later in January, his body of work this past season suggests he still has plenty of tread left on his tires.

Drake rushed the ball 16 times for 60 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-16 loss to the Bengals. He added two receptions on five targets for 19 yards.

Drake had been inactive for each of Baltimore's last three games, but he got back in action with J.K. Dobbins (rest) sidelined. His workload expanded further when Gus Edwards exited late in the first quarter, and Drake took advantage by contributing significantly in the form of an 18-yard run and a four-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter. Depending on Edwards' status, Drake could have a role in Baltimore's wild-card round rematch against the Bengals.

Scott carried the ball nine times for a season-high 54 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Giants.

The running back scored Philadelphia's only TD of the game on an eight-yard run in the first quarter and wound up leading the team in rushing yards, as with the Eagles ahead 16-0 at the half, they had little incentive to give Miles Sanders a heavy workload. Scott wraps up the regular season with 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns over 15 games in a depth role, and his usage isn't likely to change in the playoffs.

Breida carried the ball four times for 28 yards and caught seven of eight targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles.

With Saquon Barkley inactive in a relatively meaningless game for the Giants, Breida split the backfield workload with Gary Brightwell but didn't do much with his share of the touches. Breida and Barkley are both free agents in the offseason, but the latter is a top priority to re-sign while Breida may not be in the Giants' plans for 2023. Over 17 games this season, the 27-year-old managed only 220 yards and a TD on the ground and 118 yards through the air on 20 catches.

Brightwell carried the ball 11 times for 60 yards and caught one of three targets for three yards in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles.

With Saquon Barkley inactive in a relatively meaningless game for the Giants, Brightwell wound up being the team's leading rusher. The 60 yards were also a new career high for the 2021 sixth-round pick, and if somehow the team doesn't re-sign Barkley in the offseason or bring in a high-profile replacement, Brightwell could have a much more significant role in 2023.

Mitchell (knee) suited up and logged five carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.

Mitchell was activated from injured reserve for the second time this season, producing big fantasy numbers on just five touches while backing up Christian McCaffrey (13 touches). Both running backs have dealt with lower body injuries this year, which helps explains the low usage one week ahead of the playoffs. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season with a rushing line of 45-279-2 across five active games. Assuming Mitchell remains in good health, he should inch closer to double-digit carries when San Francisco hosts its upcoming wild-card game next week.

Ekeler rushed 11 times for 34 yards and secured all four targets for 36 yards in the Chargers' 31-28 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Ekeler put together a largely pedestrian performance to close out the regular season, although of overriding importance was the fact he came out of the contest unscathed. Ekeler finished the 2022 regular season with three straight four-catch efforts to put the finishing touches on a 107-722-5 line through the air, and he also eclipsed the 900-yard mark on the ground for the second consecutive campaign. Ekeler is naturally slated to play a pivotal role in the Chargers' playoff fortunes beginning with next weekend's road wild-card road matchup against the Jaguars.